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A well-known restaurant in Ballwin, Lal Qila is the perfect location for a delightful menu. The nice atmosphere and reasonable prices allow customers to focus on what matters: the fantastic food.
There's no particular required attire, so feel free to dress comfortably. Also, only cash is accepted, so you'll definitely want to swing by the ATM beforehand. Glancing at the menu prices, one person can definitely dine for less than $20, and can probably get in and out somewhere in the $10-to-$15 range, if you try.
In addition to its convenient take-out menu, the restaurant even provides catering for events around town.
A highly-regarded spot for both lunch and dinner, Lal Qila is a solid choice when you're in the mood for Asian cuisine and want to branch out from the regular ol' Chinese or Japanese fare. Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby.

Test your spice threshold at Urbanspoon, and see how much heat your palate can handle at this Indian eatery.
Can't get enough of Urbanspoon's tasty dishes? They also offer a catering service for parties and events.
Urbanspoon is located in a prime location surrounded by various parking options.
Urbanspoon has three square meals a day on the menu, so swing by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

One of the more popular restaurants in Maryland Heights, Priyaa Indian Cuisine features a flavorful menu. The excellent waitstaff and a flavorful meal, set in a familiar atmosphere, will have you coming back for more.
There's no specific recommended attire, so feel free to dress casually and comfortably.
If you don't feel like driving over to McKelvey, placing a delivery order is an option.
A highly-regarded option for lunch, Priyaa Indian Cuisine is a tasty choice when you're in the mood for Asian cuisine and want to branch out from the standard Chinese or Japanese fare. Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby.

The native chefs at India Palace use traditional cooking methods to sizzle up a tasty array of Indian cuisine, drawing from a pantry of fresh ingredients and spices. The 11th-story dining room regales patrons with scenic views of the landscape typically reserved for window washers or wealthy passengers on low-flying UFOs. Open seven days a week, India Palace stocks a buffet for lunch before populating dinner plates at 5:30 p.m.

Wash down curry with some cold lassi at Saffron — this Indian eatery is a must-try.
Foods low in fat are not on hand here, though, so get ready to loosen your belt buckle.
Find time to peruse the wine list here — Saffron offers a variety of drink options.
Load up the mini-van and bring the kids to Saffron — they'll love the menu and scene here as much as mom and dad.
Business casual dress, tasty food and a classic atmosphere makes this a great place for any occasion.
For those in a hurry, the restaurant lets you take your grub to go.
Catering from Saffron will take your party to the next level.
Complimentary parking is provided in the lot next to Saffron.
If public transportation is preferable, ditch the car and board nearby stops at Manchester Rd. @ Barrett Station Rd. (57), Manchester Rd. @ Barrett Station Rd. (57), and Manchester Rd. @ S Mason Rd. (57).
No matter what you choose off the menu at Saffron, you won't completely break the bank with prices averaging around $30.

The premier destination for good chicken, Haveli in St. Louis is one of the area's best-rated restaurants. Not in the mood for the chicken? They have a menu with plenty of options. Expect a wonderful staff and a yummy meal that's worth the visit.
There's no specific recommended attire, so feel free to dress casually and comfortably.
It's been tabbed as a nice option for both families with children and large groups. WiFi is available if you want to get some work done, and in addition to its quick service (take-out is available), the restaurant also offers delivery, and can even cater an event for you. Or, if you just want to stop by for a beverage, the restaurant has a good selection at its bar.
A highly-regarded option for lunch in Overland, Haveli is a solid choice when you're in the mood for Asian cuisine and want to be more adventurous than the boring ol' Chinese or Japanese fare. Its buffet is known to be "great," while the owner is "friendly." Don't worry about trying to find a spot on the street, as visitors to the restaurant do have access to a private parking lot nearby.

Groupon Guide

In November of 2013, the Carolina Reaper pepper was declared the “World’s Hottest Chili” by the Guinness Book of World Records. Nearly two years later, it continues to hold the title—an admirable feat in an industry filled with record chasers in constant competition to breed hotter and hotter chilies. None have managed to captivate the world quite like the Reaper, however, which has inspired countless videos of weepy-eyed men, women, and children brave (or boneheaded?) enough to try and eat one. One Bon Appétit writer went so far as to consume three whole peppers in just under 22 seconds, then documented the 14 hours of misery that ensued.
At more than 1.5 million Scoville heat units (the official measurement used to judge a chili pepper’s spiciness), the Carolina Reaper is roughly 300 times hotter than the average jalapeño. With such intense heat, it hasn’t exactly been popping up on menus across the globe—but some of its (only slightly) less spicy brethren have been torturing tongues for years.
Below, we highlighted some of the spiciest chilis available for consumption, in case you want to gradually build your tolerance to Reaper-ready levels.Trinidad Scorpion ‘Butch T’ Heat Level: 1.4 million Scoville heat units (280 times hotter than a jalapeño)Country of Origin: Trinidad and TobagoFast Fact: Gets its name from its pointed tip, which is said to resemble a scorpion stinger.Where to try it: Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap in Chicago, ILJake Melnick’s XXX wings are ignited with a hot sauce made from Trinidad scorpion peppers, ghost peppers, and habaneros. Guests tempted to try them must sign a waiver, and anyone who’s able to finish an order gets their photo on Jake’s Wall of Flame.
Naga ViperHeat Level: 1.3 million SHU (260 times hotter than a jalapeño)Country of Origin: Great BritainFast Fact: A cross between a Naga Morich, Bhut Jolokia, and Trinidad scorpion, the Naga Viper is considered an “unstable three-way hybrid,” meaning the peppers cannot produce offspring that are exactly like it.Where to Try It: Red Dog Saloon in LondonRed Dog’s hot-wing challenge presents chicken doused with fresh Naga chili sauce. Like the XXX wings at Jake’s, the Naga wings require diners to sign a liability waiver (the last line of which reads, “I am a damned fool”) before digging in. Challengers must consume 6 of the wings in 10 minutes and resist eating or drinking anything for at least 5 minutes afterward in order to get their picture on the saloon wall—a feat that has a mere 5% success rate.Ghost Pepper (aka Bhut Jolokia)Heat Level: 1 million SHU (200 times hotter than a jalapeño)Country of Origin: BangladeshFast Fact: In some parts of India, ghost peppers (which can be many different colors, including red, chocolate brown, purple, and yes, white) are reportedly used in smoke bombs designed to keep wild elephants at bay.Where to Try It: Brick Lane Curry House in New York, NYOften referred to as the “hottest curry in the world,” BLCH’s phaal curry features ghost peppers along with nine (!) other types of chilies. The fumes produced by the cooking process are so incendiary, the chef has to wear a gas mask—a process documented on Man v. Food, when host Adam Richman compared the smell’s effect to “swallowing a porcupine.”Red SavinaHeat Level: 500,000 SHU (100 times hotter than a jalapeño)Country of Origin: USAFast Fact: Held the world record for the hottest chilli for 12 years (1994–2006).Where to Try It: Lafayette Brewing Company in Lafayette, INLafayette Brewing’s hickory-smoked wings come with four dipping sauces, one of which is a barbecue sauce made with Red Savinas. These don’t come with a waiver, just a warning and an excuse to drink a lot of Lafayette’s award-winning oatmeal stout.
Scotch BonnetHeat Level: 100,000 SHU (20 times hotter than a jalapeño)Country of Origin: Not Scotland, actually. The Scotch Bonnet is found in many Caribbean Islands, as well as in Guyana, the Maldives, and West Africa.Fast Fact: The pepper’s name comes from its resemblance to a traditional tam o’ shanter hat.Where to Try It: The Rookery in Brooklyn, NYThe Rookery’s Yellow Bonnet bloody mary is unusually spicy—it gets its kick from a healthy dose of Scotch Bonnet peppers. It also has an unusual golden hue, thanks to an infusion of yellow tomatoes.Scotch Bonnet photo: Back yard plants by Jeff Vier under CC by 2.0Check out our guides to other food categories:Nine African Dishes Not to Miss
You’ve probably had injera, but what about n’dolé, bobotie, or fufu?A Guide to Ordering the Perfect Fish
Don’t know the difference between snapper and cod? Allow a fishmonger to explain.

In this installment, Groupon’s food correspondent the Picky Panda talks to Kristy Turner, author of the vegan blog Keepin’ it Kind. Her cookbook, But I Could Never Go Vegan!, creatively chips away at the reasons why some people say they’re incapable of a vegan lifestyle. (The book is available on Groupon Goods for a few more days!) The Groupon Guide previously spoke to Kristy in an effort to save tofu’s much-maligned reputation; here, the Panda delves deeper into her meat-free philosophy.
PICKY PANDA: Even though I have what looks like a carnivore’s digestive system, I’m also vegan! It’s great to meet someone with similar sensibilities. Why did you become vegan?
KRISTY TURNER: I saw an interview with Ellen Degeneres and Katie Couric. Ellen said something like, “there is no such thing as pain-free torture and humane murder.” I didn’t know that there was torture and death in the egg and dairy industry. When I learned that, I began to do some research and turned up a lot of stuff. I was a fromagier and a huge cheese nut … But I found that dairy could no longer satisfy my taste buds.
That’s some heavy stuff. Can I ask how your cookbook come about?I started [Keepin’ It Kind] and my husband did the photography for it. I had so much fun cooking dishes and decided to document [them], and it took off. Then I got an email from a publisher with a concept they thought I would be good for. I had always been that person, saying I could never go vegan, and you hear so many excuses from people why they couldn’t go vegan.
Tell me about it. My coworkers are always like, “I don’t have the specialized microbes in my gut that will allow me to digest the cellulose in bamboo.” And I’m like, “Dude, just try it!” What’s the most common excuse for not going vegan that you hear, and how do you address it?“I could never give up cheese!” I had that excuse as well. In my book, I provide a lot of recipes that can satisfy that craving. There are a lot of options out there. I thought I could never find a [vegan substitute for] aged cheddar, but I did. I wanted to have quick and easy recipes, so you can make macaroni and cheese, and tofu chevre.
I’ve never had a cheese craving myself, but congrats on defeating yours in a vegan-friendly way. How do you see veganism growing as a movement? What’s your preferred way of spreading the word?I do see it becoming more popular. It is not as unheard of anymore, which I love. You don’t have to explain what veganism is to every person you come in contact with.
I try not to be a preacher. Instead, I hope to provide a healthy, happy example of veganism. If someone asks, I explain it simply, calmly, and politely so they feel [that] veganism is approachable and not something to be overwhelmed by.
That’s great. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how little I know about any food besides bamboo, but you seem like an excellent resource. What do you think the future holds for veganism? What advancements do you look forward to?
[My husband] Chris and I talk about this all the time. We think our grandkids will be shocked that people used to eat animals. There are already lots of amazing faux cheeses and meats out there—there’s even a new LA vegan cheese shop called Vromage. It will just keep becoming more available and mainstream.
Sounds like there’s a lot in store. Last question, and I’m especially excited to hear your answer: how would you put your own spin on bamboo? I heard that bamboo tartar is going to be really big. Pureeing it and serving it raw with some seasoning would be amazing!
About the Picky Panda:As a giant panda, I eat up to 30 pounds of bamboo a day. But after I got a job writing for the Groupon Guide, I found out that not everyone eats bamboo exclusively. (And that not everyone is a giant panda! Geeze!) Now, I’m on a mission to learn all I can about the world of food, cooking, and restaurants by talking to some of the greatest culinary minds of our time.Previous Picky Panda Talks:Dan Raskin, co-owner of Chicago’s iconic Manny’s Deli David Lebovitz, the bon vivant and author of several food books, most recently My Paris Kitchen

Most people know of tandoori chicken, those skewers of bright-red marinated meat whose spicy scent wafts through many Indian restaurants. But fewer are familiar with the place from whence it came. That would be the tandoor—a cylindrical, charcoal-burning clay oven with a design that dates back thousands of years. To learn more, we talked to Kamal Chhabria, the owner and manager of Raj Darbar, a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient in Chicago.It’s basically a pot. A pot full of fire.As befits its ancient roots, the tandoor is fully manual: “There’s no temperature control switch where you turn it on and off,” Chhabria said. Once the charcoal at the bottom of the 1- to 2-foot-wide interior is lit, the tandoor takes around 30–45 minutes to heat to full temperature. While many dishes cook at 400–500 degrees, the tandoor can reach as high as 800 degrees.Cooking with it takes finesse.“You can easily burn the chicken” in the tandoor’s heat, Chhabria said. It takes an experienced chef to know how to keep the meat tender. And once a restaurant owner finds a capable chef, he holds on: “I’ve had one restaurant and I’ve had one tandoor and I’ve had one chef,” Chhabria said. “He has not quit me and I have not quit him.”Flavorful smoke equals intense flavor.As juices drip off the roasting meats, they get absorbed by the charcoal beneath, which then gives off an intense, flavorful smoke that infuses the food. “Because there’s a narrow opening at the top … the flavors don’t escape,” said Chhabria. “It’s like a barbecue [smoker].”Even its walls cook things.Naan bread, that staple of Indian cuisine, is cooked inside the tandoor—but not on a skewer. Since there’s not much horizontal surface area, cooks just slap the dough onto the tandoor’s interior walls, where it sticks throughout cooking.A chef adds naan to the tandoor at Dhoom Indian Restaurant in Seacaucus, New Jersey.It’s more of a northern Indian thing.“There’s a joke that northern Indians eat bread, which is grown in the south, and southern Indians eat rice, which is grown in the north,” Chhabria said. Many northern Indian households have a tandoor in the backyard so they can bake fresh naan every day. Talk about living the dream.Get the low-down on other interesting cuisines:Six Reasons to Try Korean BarbecueAn Encyclopedia of German Sausages